Reporting time from 1:30-4:00 increases chocolate consumption

I so looked forward to this self-directed learning/working time after two days of having virtually every second accounted for (though that has been very enjoyable and beneficial as well). I imagined that I would finally have ample time to catch up on all of my blogging, squeeze in an interview or three, and still have time to find a great visual for my individual story.

As the clock keeps ticking me further and further away from finishing all that I sought to do, I can't help but notice the energy around me. The energy of chasing a story is addicting, and I find myself saying to myself to just finish one more thing before you can make that much needed visit to the bathroom. The only thing that was successful in pulling me away from my story was the chocolate that I was warned was going fast. By the time I got to it, it was nearly gone. As my consumption of chocolate is directly proportional to the amount of thinking I am doing (or so I tell myself), I feel confident that these few precious hours of work time have been productive even though I didn't even manage to squeeze in one interview. Yet. Fifteen minutes do remain.

As a teacher, I am often shocked at how long it takes my students to get me a rough draft. Parkingson's law says that "Work expands to fill the time allotted for it," which I often find true. For this week, however, I find that the work a story requires expands to fill the curious minds of those who are interested in their stories. Dean Callahan emphasized how important it was to be interested in our stories, and we are, as we had choice in our assignments. Though my time is limited, my interest is not. This just means I need to work smarter, not harder, than I did for these first few hours of reporting time.

Before our release into the realm of reporting time, we met with professionals in groups. My mentor was Jill Cassidy, Travel Editor of the Arizona Republic. She was a wealth of ideas, and she encouraged us to chase stories and gave me the names and ways to contact many sources to approach. It was helpful and encouraging to meet with a professional who validated my story idea, and I feel more confident going forward with the more people I talk to.

Jill Bhowmik
Granite Hills High School
El Cajon, Calif.